Thursday, April 9, 2015

What I’m Watching: Better Call Saul (Season Finale)


Better Call Saul: Season 1, Episode 10 “Marco” (B+)

This episode felt like a step back for Jimmy, and it was disappointing not to see the plot move forward in a major way after the high that Jimmy was on with his case over the course of the last few episodes. We know that it’s going to be a slower burn to get Jimmy to being the Saul Goodman we call, and I’m really anticipating watching that journey continue. Starting this episode off with a flashback to Jimmy’s less noble days back in Chicago paved the way for a meltdown in Albuquerque while he was reading off bingo numbers, complete with a colorful definition of a Chicago sunroof. That raving outburst stood in stark contrast to his much calmer and more elegant meeting with Howard in which the top partner explained that he never actually disliked Jimmy. His trip back to Chicago brought back his old bad habits, running a coin scheme just for fun to swindle a bar patron out of $110. It’s great to see him work, and it’s a shame that the last hurrah Marco made him stay for resulted in a fatal heart attack that prompted Jimmy to let the money go and stay by his friend to make sure he was okay. Getting recommended by Kimmy to interview at a major firm and work on his case again was a great opportunity, but it’s clear that Jimmy is destined for other things. Not getting charged by Mike for a quick turnaround was a start, and pledging not to be taken advantage of again is energizing and makes the prospect of a second season extremely enticing.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy

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